


The Here and Now is Coming Round

by Argyle



Category: Alice (2009)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-16
Updated: 2011-06-16
Packaged: 2017-10-20 11:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argyle/pseuds/Argyle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the New Year, Hatter counts his blessings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Here and Now is Coming Round

There are some things Hatter has grown fonder of in the months since he followed Alice through the Looking Glass. For one, the damp of each San Francisco morning, and the fog that arrives in tandem, vaguely at first, like an it's just a fellow doing his job, only to then grow deeper with every uncountable moment.

Another: double chocolate stout, that wonderful draught.

And always Alice: here Alice's gloved hand in his own, the weight of it greater for her determination not to lose him as they beeline for the pier through the dissipating crowd. Hatter and Alice missed seeing the fireworks over the bay, but instead stayed at the pub, unmindful of the hour, with Alice laughing and Hatter leaning a little closer into her side after each just-one-more round.

There's a breeze, but the scent of smoke still lingers low in his nose, down his throat. It reminds him of war. "But we won," he says now, not really thinking.

"What?" Alice asks.

"Nothing."

The water glows. It's just cars going over the bridge, and stray light from too-tall buildings, but everything is cast in gold and green and red, and damned if it doesn't bounce back onto Alice, every bit of her exposed skin drinking it up, making her seem so very large. She looks at him.

"We didn't really do this, y'know," he says. "The Queen wouldn't have it. It was always just _her_ time, no rolling over, no starting again. Of course we had an _idea_ of the year..."

"Don't you think it's just what you put into your time that matters? What you do with it?"

"But when--"

"You'll see." She smiles, closed-lipped, but still wide enough to crease the fine flesh around her eyes.

Hatter's still a bit drunk, but if he had to put a name to it, if he were ever asked, he'd call it this: knowing. And not a little hopeful. "Happy New Year," he says, wondering if it's the right thing.

Alice just keeps on smiling.


End file.
